Movies: Previewing the 'New/Next Film Fest,' coming to The Charles

It's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. One of Tom's guests today is Jed Dietz, the founder and retired director of the Maryland Film Festival. The MFF's current directors late last year announced they were putting the popular annual film event on hiatus until 2024, while the board conducts what it calls "a planning process to re-envision its role as an arts and culture hub in Baltimore and for the entire region." In response to that announcement, Baltimore film advocates decided to mount an alternative festival. With sponsorship from Your Public Radio (this station's parent company), they began planning for the New/Next Film Festival, a weekend-long celebration of film culture that will take place August 18-20 at The Charles theater in Baltimore. According to festival organizers, the NNFF will present "emerging film work of international scope alongside a special emphasis on new and repertory work from the Baltimore film scene." Joining Tom and Jed in the studio today to discuss the New Next Film Fest is former Maryland Film Festival Director of Programming Eric Allen Hatch. Hatch is curating the films for the festival that will be screening at The Charles. Also with us in studio is Emma Hannaway, a Baltimore born-and-raised filmmaker who produced the award-winning local film, Strawberry Mansion, and who's working as an assistant producer of the New/Next Film Festival. For information on film schedules and to purchase tickets to the New/Next Film Festival, follow this linkEmail us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.